In terms of raw power, the desktop version is the central pillar of the system. The iPhone and iPad clients, when used in conjunction with the desktop client, can function as satellites, albeit very important ones, to the desktop. In some cases, these satellites will occupy the majority of task management time spent. On their own, the iPhone and iPad versions are quite excellent in their own right and provide significant use towards productivity and getting things done.

I cannot say for certain who would benefit more from one over the other as so much is personal preference. If hardware is not an issue, and you are in the market for only one, a breakdown may be the following:

IPhone may be best when:

There are a small number of projects

Portability is of utmost importance

You do not plan on making many adjustments, conditional tasks, or subgroups

Mapping and location based tasks are important

IPad may be best when:

There are a moderate number of projects

Portability is important

Some modifications of tasks are anticipated

The default Forecast view is important

Mapping and location based tasks are important

You are new to the GTD organization of work

The reason for the last listed item is that the user interface is quite streamlined for both access and therefore teaching of methods of productivity in the line of breaking projects down into tasks and contexts.

The desktop/laptop client may be best when:

There are a large number of projects

When the ability to modify tasks in a workflow is important

When it is important to be able to build your own perspectives and workflow

When you want the option to use multiple windows

When you want the most robust system of the group to manage tasks

This concludes the series. I hope you have enjoyed these posts!

3 Comments

Nathan Lee
on February 7, 2011 at 11:41 pm

Nice article. I’d enjoy hearing what you took for users forced onto Windows.

The windows question is a big one. If the Omni Group decides to program OmniFocus for use with a web interface, that would take care of the windows issue fairly readily. As far as alternatives go, though, it seems that there really aren’t any major comparisons to OmniFocus on the Windows system. I may be wrong though as I’ve been a mac user for years now.

When I am at a Windows computer, I mainly use the gmail web interface as an inbox to the mac side of things for later.

Nathan
on February 8, 2011 at 11:21 pm

Yes, I’m still struggling with how ton really make my task management work when I’m stuck on windows at work. I had a mac at home, but recently had to go windows-only. Its good to have the ipad and ipod versions, but I’m still looking for that bridge.

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